Measuring Sarcopenia on MRI among Turkish Female Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background: Since the presence of sarcopenia in breast cancer patients is associated with increased postoperative complications, it is crucial to know its frequency in the prechemoteraphy period. It has been suggested that there are many factors associated with sarcopenia. This study focused on the frequency of sarcopenia over the pectoralis muscle area obtained in routine breast MRI among Turkish females who were newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Methods: In a prospective study, pectoralis muscle was manually contoured bilaterally, and the cross-sectional area on breast MRI was calculated in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. The 'Core slices' program was used while calculating SMI. We accepted 7.4 kg/m2 as the threshold value for sarcopenia. Results: Overall, 17 patients (17 %) were sarcopenic. The analysis regarding the detection of sarcopenia in the patient groups < 65 and ≥ 65 years of age was not statistically significant (P<0.156). The relationship between the groups with BMI < 25 and ≥ 25 sarcopenia was statistically significant (P<0.001). Sarcopenia was found significantly more frequently in patients with metastasis (P<0,0001). Conclusion: This study recruited Turkish females who were newly diagnosed breast cancer. It is the first study in the literature to include the same race, gender, and malignancy in which sarcopenia was investigated. It was shown that breast MRI which is radiation-free can be used in the evaluation of sarcopenia in patients with breast cancer. This result is important for being prepared for possible complications before treatment.